Richard Rapport wins European Rapid Chess Championship 2013

Chess Blog for Daily Chess News and Trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2013

Hello everyone,

Hungarian Grandmaster Richard Rapport won the European Rapid Chess Championship 2013 that was held on 14-15th December at The Palace of Culture and Science in Warsaw, Poland.

A total of 736 players from 29 European federations (FIDE Zones 1.1 to 1.10) competed in the 11-round Swiss event with the time control G-15′+10”. The field included 47 Grandmasters and 125 international title holders.

Eventually three players shared the first place with 9,5 points each: Richard Rapport, Vladimir Malakhov and Tigran L Petrosian.

Rapport had the best tie-break score and is declared Champion. Malakhov took the silver medal, Petrosian is awarded with bronze.

Final top standings:
1-3. GM Rapport Richard HUN R 2661, GM Malakhov Vladimir RUS R 2756 and GM Petrosian Tigran L. ARM R 2637 – 9,5
4-10. GM Moiseenko Alexander UKR R 2678, GM Korobov Anton UKR R 2752, GM Jobava Baadur GEO R 2678, GM Socko Bartosz POL R 2661, GM Salgado Lopez Ivan ESP R 2620, GM Lysyj Igor RUS R 2640 and GM Krasenkow MichalPOL R 2609 – 9,0
11-28. GM Cheparinov Ivan BUL R 2710, GM Sargissian Gabriel ARM R 2647, GM Ragger Markus AUT R 2689, GM Dubov Daniil RUS R 2602, GM Wojtaszek Radoslaw POL R 2713, GM Tkachiev Vladislav FRA R 2675, IM Pakleza Zbigniew POL R 2471, GM Ivanisevic Ivan SRB R 2638, GM Tregubov Pavel V. RUS R 2570, GM Bryzgalin Kirill RUS R 2584, GM Neiksans Arturs LAT R 2591, GM Dragun Kamil POL R 2497, GM Azarov Sergei BLR R 2666, GM Stupak Kirill BLR R 2542, IM Kuźmicz Krystian POL R 2446, GM Andriasian Zaven ARM R 2592, IM Plat Vojtech CZE R 2560 and FM Minko Vladimir RUS R 2180 – 8,5

Tournament website

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46th Biel International Chess Festival 2013 from June 20-August 2

Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2013

Hi everyone, 

The 46th Biel International Chess Festival will be held from 20th June to 2nd August in Biel, Switzerland. The main Grandmaster Tournament will be dedicated to the memory of Olivier Breisacher. Six players will play in a category 19 double round robin event:

Etienne Bacrot, FRA, Elo 2725

Ian Nepomniachtchi, RUS, Elo 2717

Alexander Moiseenko, UKR, Elo 2711

Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, FRA Elo 2706

Ding Liren, CHN, Elo 2702

Richard Rapport, HUN, Elo 2674 (Juniors U18 #1)

Player biographies are available on the official website. GM Wang Hao of China is the defending champion.
Master Tournament
July 22nd – August 2nd 2013; 2-8 p.m. (August 2nd: 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.). Rest day on July 28th. 11 round Swiss system.
Prizes: CHF 7’000, 5’000, 4’000, 3’000, 2’500, 2’000, 1’500, 1’200, 2×1’000, 3×700, 3×500, 4×300, 5×200, best ladies: CHF 600, 400, 300, best senior (1953-), best junior (1995+), best child (1997+), best player without title: each CHF 500, best players with Elo < 2200 Total prize fund: CHF 43'000.
Admission: Players with FIDE-rating (list May, June or July 2013) or national rating (e.g. Swiss ELO list 2/2013 or 3/2013) ELO 2000 and more.

Main Tournament
July 24th – August 2nd 2013; 2-8 p.m. (August 2nd: 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.). Rest day on July 28th. 9 round Swiss system.
Prizes: CHF 1’200, 1’000, 800, 600, 500, 2×400, 3×300, 5×200, 5×100, best ladies, best seniors (1953-), best juniors (1995+): each CHF 200, 100, best children (1997+): CHF 150, 50, best players with Elo <1800 nbsp="">
Total prize fund: CHF 10'600.
Admission: players with FIDE rating ELO 2050 and below (list May, June or July 2013) or players with national rating ELO 2050 and below (e.g. Swiss ELO list 2/2012 or 3/2012), independent of their FIDE rating.

Swiss Rapid Chess Championship
July 21st 2013, 9.30 a.m. 9 round Swiss system.
Cadence: 7′ + 7” per move and per player.
Prizes: CHF 1’200, 800, 600, 500, 400, 300, 200, 150, 2×100, natural prizes for players with 5½ points and more, best lady, best senior (1953-), best junior (1995+): each CHF 200, best child (1997+), best player without title: each CHF 100, best Swiss (with Swiss-passport): CHF 400, 300, 200, 2×100, best players with Elo <2000 nbsp="">
Total prize fund: CHF 7'650 + natural prizes.

Swiss Blitz Chess Championship
July 28th 2013, 2 p.m. 13 round Swiss system.
Cadence: 3′ + 2” per move and per player.
Prizes: CHF 1’000, 750, 600, 500, 400, 300, 250, 200, 150, 100, 2×50, best lady, best senior (1953-), best junior (1995+): each CHF 100, best child (1997+): CHF 50, best Swiss (with Swiss passport): CHF 300, 200, 150, 100, 50.
Total prize fund: CHF 5’500 + natural prizes.

Swiss Chess960 Championship
Mode of playing: Chess960, onJuly 20th 2013, 1.00 p.m. 7 round Swiss system.
Time control: 15′ + 5″ per move and per player.
Prizes: CHF 500, 400, 300, 200, 100, natural prizes for all players.
Total prize fund: CHF 1’500 + natural prizes.
Youth Tournament
The Foundation Vinetum offers free entry fee, free lunch and prizes for all participants at the Youth tournament. Sunday, July 28th 2013, 10 a.m. 7 round Swiss System, 15 minutes per player.
Three categories:
U18 (born 1995-1999)
U13 (born 2000-2002)
U10 (born 2003 or later)

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Sigeman Chess Tournament 2013: Rapport, Sokolov, Van Wely Lead

Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2013

Hi everyone, 

Three rounds have been already played at the Sigeman Chess Tournament 2013. The field is very strong and evenly matched, so the score of the three players that are sharing the lead is only +1, according to a Chessdom report.

Richard Rapport is among the leaders thanks to his second round victory over experienced GM Nigel Short. The young Hungarian played with white and delivered mate after 52 moves. The Englishman used his usual creative play but was not able to get an advantage as he wished. The position seemed quite balanced when, right after the time control, Short started to blunder in a queens and rooks endgame. Rapport profited from these mistakes and got his first full point of the event.

In the third round, Rapport faced another member of the leading pack, Ivan Sokolov. The game was a Benoni proposed by the Hungarian, which finished in a rather short 25 moves draw.

Ivan Sokolov gained his edge in the tournament after beating Emanuel Berg with white in the first day of competition. Sokolov used a correct position style to outplay his opponent in a King’s Indian Defense. He gained an advantage very early in the game, but had to work hard to convert it into a win. Berg only signed his defeat after 62 moves.

Sokolov already played against the other two leaders, drawing against both. He will have a chance to grab sole lead in the fourth round, as he will have the white pieces against Hans Tikkanen, who lost his last game with white.

Dutch GM Loek Van Wely was the last one to join the leading pack. His victory with black over Hans Tikkanen in today’s third round puts him in the fight for first place. The players battled in a Reti Opening where Van Wely went for the initiative from the beginning, leaving his king uncastled. The tactical phase of the game was handled precisely by the Dutch who forced his opponent to resign right after the time control.

Van Wely comes from playing successfully in Oceania where he grabbed clear first place in Sidney and shared second place in Canberra. His good performances might allow him to go back to the 2700+ Elo club. If he manages to do so, we will see him once again at the main world events.

Standings after 3 rounds:
1 Rapport, Richard HUN 2674 2
2 Sokolov, Ivan NED 2642 2
3 Van Wely, Loek NED 2689 2
4 Short, Nigel D ENG 2681 1½
5 Berg, Emanuel SWE 2561 1½
6 Grandelius, Nils SWE 2556 1½
7 Tikkanen, Hans SWE 2537 1
8 Hector, Jonny SWE 2512 ½

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GM Alexander Ipatov is World Junior Chess Champion 2012

Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012

Hi everyone,

The latest chess news via Chessdom from mid-way of the last round at the World Junior Chess Championships 2012 in Athens, Greece is that GM Alexander Ipatov has won the boys' title by collecting 10,0/13.  Second place goes to GM Richard Rapport who scored the same points, but has worse tiebreak. The regular updates are coming in from the official website.

 

GM Alexander Ipatov

According to regulations Ipatov qualifies to the World Cup 2013, part of the World Championship Cycle 2012-2014. Alexander Ipatov’s name is now next to a long list of World Junior Champions! See full list in extended post.

Read more »

World Junior Chess R11: Rapport, Ipatov Lead in Boys' Section; Cori in Sole Lead in Girls' Section

Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012

Hi everyone,

The chess tournament news update via Fide about the World Junior Chess Championships 2012 is that the girls' section has a sole leader in WGM Deysi Cori and the boys' section leaders now are GM Richard Rapport and GM Alexander Ipatov. Eleven rounds have been played with one more to go.

Read more »

World Junior Chess R10 - GM Richard Rapport Holds on to Sole Lead

Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012

Hi everyone,

Defending champion
among girls: Deysi Cori 

As the World Junior Chess Championship nears the conclusion, the tenth round was played in Athens on Monday. All games were decisive on the top six boards, according to the round-up report via Chessdom. GM Richard Rapport held on to his sole lead with a win at 8.5/10. GM Alexander Ipatov won on the second board and is just half-a-point behind. GM Yu Yangyi, GM Ding Liren, GM Nils Grandelius and GM Samvel Ter-Sahakyan are in third place at 7.5 points. Some interesting results saw IM Eric Hansen draw with GM Zherebukh, norm winner Mark Lapidus held to a draw by IM Heimann and FM Wei Yi beat IM Shyam Nikil.

Read more »

World Junior Chess 2012 Round 9 - GM Richard Rapport in Clear Lead; Check Norms' List

Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012

Hi everyone,

GM Richard Rapport has beaten GM Yu Yangyi on the top board in the ninth round at the World Junior Chess Championship currently on in Athens, Greece to take sole lead, according to a comprehensive chess report via Chessdom.

Rapport now has 7.5 points. Both Rapport and Yangyi were overnight leaders along with GM Alexander Ipatov. Ipatov pulled off a fighting draw against GM Samvel Ter-Sahakyan. With this GM Ipatov is now sharing the second position at seven points with the other winners of the round: GM Aleksandr Shimanov and IM Conrad Holt.

Read more »

World Junior Chess - Ipatov, Yangyi, Rapport in Joint Lead; Nastassia Ziaziulkina Leads in Girls' Section

Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012

Hi everyone,

The top seed and the leader of the World Junior Chess Championship in Athens, Ding Liren and Alexander Ipatov, split the point on the top board in round 8 following the rest day on Thursday, according to the latest chess news via Chessdom.

Ipatov continues to lead, but is now joined by Yu Yangyi and Richard Rapport from Hungary. Among the other players with 5,5 points, IM Debashis Das (India) and FM Peter Schreiner (Austria) held the higher rated players GM Aleksandr Shimanov (Russia) and GM Samvel Ter-Sahakyan (Armenia), respectively.

GM Richard Rapport

IM Conrad Hold defeated the 3rd seed GM Yaroslav Zherebukh, while the modestly rated Mark Lapidus (2129) from Estonia beat the tough GM Salem A R Saleh from UAE. Lapidus started the tournament with two losses but then turned the trend and signed six consecutive wins.

Meanwhile, Reigning Belarus champion WGM Nastassia Ziaziulkina singled out on the top of of the standings in the girls section of the World Junior Chess Championship. In round 8 Ziaziulkina defeated the top-seeded IM Anastasia Bodnaruk (Russia) to lift the count to 6.5 points. WIM Irina Bulmaga and the defending champion WGM Deysi Cori, also entering the day as joint leaders, drew their game and remained on the shared 2nd place.

WGM Nastassia Ziaziulkina

In a mixed day for the Russian representatives, 3rd seed WGM Alina Kashlinskaya lost against WGM Guo Qi of China, but WGM Aleksandra Goryachkina scored against WIM Klara Varga from Hungary. Bulmaga, Cori, Qi, Goryachkina and WIM Meri Arabidze from Georgia share the second place with 6 points each. (Photos by Andreas Kontokanis)

From Alexandra Kosteniuk's
www.chessblog.com
Also see her personal blog at
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